Cambridge City Guide: Colleges, the Backs and One of the World’s Great Universities
Cambridge is, in its own particular way, one of the most beautiful places in England — a university city where the Backs (the gardens running down to the River Cam behind the great colleges) give a view of King’s College Chapel, Clare College, and Trinity College reflected in the water that is one of the iconic images of English architecture. Like Oxford, Cambridge is built around its ancient university (founded in the early 13th century, the world’s third oldest university in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Bologna), but the specific character — flatter, more compact, with the Cam as its defining axis — is distinctly its own.
This guide is part of our broader UK travel coverage. For food and accommodation, see our Cambridge food guide and Cambridge accommodation guide.
👉 What to Eat in Cambridge: The market, the pubs & the best Cambridge restaurants →
👉 Where to Stay in Cambridge: The best Cambridge hotels near the colleges →
Cambridge at a Glance
- Population: 125,000 (including approximately 24,000 students)
- Nation: England — in Cambridgeshire, 90km north of London
- Getting There: Trains from London King’s Cross take 50 minutes; from London Liverpool Street, 80 minutes. Cambridge station is 20 minutes on foot or a 5-minute bus from the city center
- Getting Around: The historic center is entirely walkable; the Backs are a 5-minute walk from the Market Square. Punting on the Cam is the signature Cambridge activity. Cycling is universal among students and locals; rental bikes available
Top Experiences in Cambridge
King’s College Chapel
The most spectacular example of Perpendicular Gothic architecture in England — the Chapel took 70 years to build (1446–1515) and the result is a building of breathtaking height and lightness, its fan vault ceiling (the largest in the world) soaring above the full length of the nave. The stained glass windows, installed during the original construction and surviving intact, are among the finest in England. The Rubens painting The Adoration of the Magi (1634) behind the altar is the chapel’s other great treasure. Choral Evensong (most evenings during term time) is one of the finest free musical experiences in England. Book tickets or enter for Evensong (free) at the Chapel directly.
The Backs
The gardens and meadows running behind King’s, Clare, Trinity Hall, Trinity, St John’s, Queens’, and other colleges down to the River Cam — giving the most celebrated view in Cambridge. The Mathematical Bridge at Queens’ College, the Bridge of Sighs at St John’s, and the punts moving slowly along the Cam beneath the college buildings: this is the Cambridge that every photograph captures and that still delivers on arrival. Walk from King’s College Bridge south along the Cam to the Grantchester Meadows for the full Backs experience.
Punting on the Cam
Punt hire from Scudamore’s or other operators at the Mill Pond or the Quayside — the most specifically Cambridge leisure experience. The route from the Mill Pond past the Backs, under the Bridge of Sighs, and to Grantchester Meadows is the standard; the walk back to Grantchester and tea at the Orchard Tea Garden is a full afternoon well spent. Chauffeur punts available; self-punting is possible with practice and tolerance for falling in.
Fitzwilliam Museum
Free entry. Cambridge’s national-level art museum — a classical building housing an extraordinary collection of antiquities, European painting (Titian, Rubens, Veronese, Hogarth, Constable, Monet, Picasso), illuminated manuscripts, and applied arts. One of the finest free museums in England and significantly undervisited relative to its quality. Allow 2 hours.
Trinity College and the Wren Library
The largest and wealthiest Oxford and Cambridge college — founded by Henry VIII in 1546, with a Great Court (the largest enclosed courtyard in the UK), an extraordinary list of alumni (Newton, Byron, Tennyson, Bertrand Russell, Wittgenstein, Nehru, numerous British Prime Ministers), and the Wren Library (Christopher Wren’s 1695 masterpiece, housing Newton’s own copy of the Principia Mathematica and other treasures). The Library is open for visitors during limited hours; check the college website.
How Many Days in Cambridge
One full day covers King’s College Chapel, the Backs walk, punting, and the Fitzwilliam Museum — excellent as a day trip from London (50 minutes). An overnight allows the Wren Library, Grantchester Meadows, and Evensong at King’s in the evening. Cambridge and Oxford together make an excellent two-day itinerary from London.
👉 What to Eat in Cambridge: The market, the pubs & the best Cambridge restaurants →
👉 Where to Stay in Cambridge: The best Cambridge hotels near the colleges →
For our full UK coverage, see our United Kingdom travel guide.